The present invention relates to tops for flatbeds of wheeled vehicles, such as trucks or trailers, and more particularly to a quick-release removable flatbed top that is aerodynamical, lightweight, and capable of being pivotally opened about a rotational axis forwardly or rearwardly of the top.
Flatbeds are common in vehicles. Generally the flatbed of a trailer or motorized vehicle includes a horizontal surface or deck without walls or a ceiling. The advantage of flatbeds is that they permit the transport of any of a variety of structures or devices without concern for adequate side or vertical space because walls and ceilings are generally nonexistent on a flatbed.
Another significant advantage of flatbeds is that they are relatively lightweight with the absence of a ceiling and sidewalls which otherwise make for heavy rigid structures. Furthermore, with the absence of sidewalls and ceilings, flatbeds are relatively economical to purchase and more economical to transport without the significant and weighty sidewalls and ceiling.
There is a need for an aerodynamic, lightweight trailer top for enclosing flatbeds that quickly fastens onto a flatbed and is capable of opening by upward pivotal rotation either from the front or the rear of the flatbed along a front or rear axis.
An aerodynamic, lightweight, flexible material flatbed top for enclosing a flatbed of a wheeled vehicle. The horizontal frame structure of front and side rails may be expansible. Inverted U-shaped cover support poles run front to rear and are mounted in the rectangular horizontal frame. A flexible material is stretched or draped over the support poles and secured to the frame structure. Cooperating locking and pivoting pin assemblies for each corner of the trailer top cooperate with corner brackets located at the deck corners of the flatbed to secure the top to the flatbed and to permit alternating rotation about an axis located at the front of the top or an axis located at the rear of the top to gain access into the space covered by the top on the flatbed.
The principal object and advantage of the present invention is that the flatbed top supported by its frame has cooperating locking and pivoting pin and bracket assemblies with the trailer decking which permit the flatbed top to be easily removed or secured upon the deck of a flatbed.
Another object and advantage of the present invention is that the locking pivot pin assemblies and brackets permit the opening of the flatbed top from either the front or the rear as the top rotates either along a rear or front pivoting axis.
Another object and advantage of the present invention is that the trailer top is significantly lightweight, between 100 to 150 pounds, for a trailer that is less than fourteen feet long. Thus the trailer top does not significantly add to the towing weight of the trailer or overall gross vehicle weight of the motorized vehicle.
Another object and advantage of the present invention is that the top is relatively inexpensive when compared to a trailer or wheeled vehicle having fixed sidewalls and ceiling.